Description
Although Brussels are a beloved Christmas side dish, sprouts features in our veg bags well into March. A brilliant local chef - Fatima Tarkleman - combines them with the lively forced rhubarb of early Spring, and Graceburn British feta-style cheese, to create a refreshing dish with a touch of Americana and a whole lot of flavour. With this recipe, we’ve applied our collaborative, local mindset to bring a distinctively unique approach to the Brussels sprout.
Ingredients
2 clean jam-sized jars
200g rhubarb, washed
100ml water
100ml any fruit vinegar (ie: apple cider vinegar, pomegranate vinegar etc)
100g sugar
½ tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp black peppercorns
½ tsp fennel seeds
1 star anise
3 cloves
Instructions
Start pickling the rhubarb the day before you wish to serve it. Cut the rhubarb into 1cm wide diagonal slices and place into a bowl. Sprinkle with ½ tsp salt, mix well, set aside. Toast the spices in a dry frying pan on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Heat the vinegar and water together in a small pot until it starts to steam. Add the sugar, coriander, black peppercorns, fennel, star anise and cloves. Stir well to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil, and then turn off the heat. Retrieve the rhubarb, draining off any liquid that has formed. Place the rhubarb into a suitable jar (or two, if required) and pour over the hot pickling liquid and all the spices, close the jars. Once cool, place the jar(s) in the fridge overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
Notes
The rhubarb will keep in the fridge for up to 6 months – it’s delicious chopped with shallots as a condiment for grilled mackerel, or popped into leafy or bitter salads for sweetness and extra zing. Try it as part of Fatima's full Crispy Brussel's Sprouts with Whipped Feta and Pickled Rhubarb recipe found here: https://www.sustainweb.org/jelliedeel/articles/mar21-veg-box-brussel-spr...